Means to an End
by Heldottir
Summary: A story centered around Ivan, aka Russia. Russia has been through enough to drive him insane. Lost in his own mind he contemplates suicide. That's when America, ever the hero, tries to rescue the lost nation.
1. Dissapear

Russia shook violently, the gun pushing gently against his pale hair. It felt heavier in his twitching hand then he thought it should. His smile was wide and, his eyes were bright as the tears streamed freely down his face. The other nation stood across from him, talking quickly and saying things that Russia thought must have been meant to comfort him. All that Ivan could think was how funny it was that America would try tho stop him when not too long ago, it was he who was pointing the gun at Russia. The idea made him laugh out loud before he could manage to stop himself.

"Please man, think of your people!" Alfred gasped. He was beginning to shake too.

Ivan's eye's dulled as he spoke up, "We do not forget the wounds that we have survived. We can never forget the pain we have caused, the pain forced on us. It is a burden young friend, a burden that only continues to grow until at last we disappear under it's weight. I am ready to disappear now. Remember me da?"

Alfred paled and took a tentative step forward, "Please, don't do this." he whispered, stretching his arms towards the stricken nation in front of him.

"Do svidaniya comrade." Russia's eye's slid closed, and the shaking stopped. He could hear Alfred's feet begin to move forward. It didn't matter, he probably wouldn't make it to him in time. With a heavy sigh Ivan let his finger begin to squeeze down on the trigger.

.....................................................................................

Well, I may continue this, I'm really not sure yet if I should... And I'm sorry such a depressing story right off the bat! I really do love Russia-san! Also, I know, it's way too short, sorry sorry!


	2. What now

The trigger pushed backwards past the point of no return and for an instant time stopped for Ivan. And then, slowly he began to feel Alfred's breath across his neck. America's hand gently wrapped around Ivan's own and pulled the gun away from him.

"God fucking damn! That hurt way more than I thought it was going to!" Alfred hissed angrily.

Russia almost laughed as he slid his eyes open to take in the man in front of him. Alfred had somehow managed to slide his hand between the cocked hammer and the charge it had intended to hit. So when Russia pulled the trigger, the hammer went through Alfred's hand.

Alfred pried the gun off of his bleeding hand and tossed it across the room. "Are you alright?" He asked calmly, turning towards the other country. Ivan responded with a left hook to his jaw.

"Ebanatyi pidaraz!" Russia hissed punching the other again, this time in the gut hard enough to make America's knee's buckle. "Kooshi govno ee oomree." Tears were beginning to fall but Ivan was still to angry to notice, "Huesos," He was sobbing now, "Hui!"

Ivan collapsed next to Alfred, shaking violently. Alfred moved closer to the stricken nation and wrapped his arms around him in a comforting hug. "Shhh… it's going to be alright. Your going to be alright."

Russia buried his head into the crook of Alfred's neck, sobbing so hard that he began to hic up.

"It will be ok Ivan," America tried, rocking the other man gently. "Try to calm down. You're going to hyperventilate and pass out." After a second Alfred shook Russia slightly, "Ivan? Ivan?" Alfred sighed, "Great, now what?"

……………………………………………………….

Ivan woke up with a start. After groggily flopping his way out of bed he suddenly realized he had no idea where he was, or whose pajamas he was wearing. They were too small. He looked around the room for his clothes, or better yet, his water pipe, but unfortunately he could find neither. Well so much for that. Now for the obvious next step, the door. Ivan got up and tried reached for the knob at the same time that the person on the other side decided to fling it open. Russia jumped backwards like a frightened cat and landed squarely on his ass a few feet away.

"Good Morning!" Alfred smiled as he walked into the room with a tray balanced on one arm. "I brought breakfast! …Uh… Ivan?"

Russia stood up and cleared his throat, plastering an innocent smile on his face. "What is going on?"

America whirled around so quickly that everything on the tray shifted dangerously off balance. "Breakfast." He answered simply.

"I meant," Ivan tired again, "Why am I here? What's going on da?"

Alfred sighed, "After… what happened, you'll be staying at my house for a while."

Ivan blinked, "I'm going home."

"No, you're not. I've already made all the arraignments and talked to the world council. We agreed it would be best for you to stay here."

Russia paused, the smile slipping off of his face. "You can't stop me."

Alfred's eye's gained a dangerous glint. He slowly dropped the try onto the bed and smiled, "Yes, I can."

Ivan's eyes narrowed and he tentatively stepped towards the door. America took a step forward. Russia went for it, and made it to the hall before the smaller man successfully shoulder rushed him.

"So, about breakfast…" America smiled as he dragged the other nation back towards his room.

………………………………………..

Well, um here's chapter two. Still a little on the short side, but getting better right? Thank you very much for all of your reviews! Please let me know what you think! Oh, and if you were wondering, this is what Russia was saying:

**ebanatyi pidaraz**- fucking motherfucker

**kooshi govno ee oomree**- eat shit and die

**Huesos**- cocksucker

**Hui**- dick

I assumed you knew what the Russian in the last chapter meant, but, um… if you don't let me know and I'll translate it.


	3. Mongol

Russia cringed at the tray in front of him. The American had filled it with what Ivan could only assume was some sort of food substitute. The first thing that grabbed his attention was a bowl of sugar coated (or perhaps it was made entirely out of sugar) cereal floating lazily what he assumed was once milk, he couldn't be sure though because the liquid was slowly being stained a sickly neon green color. Next was small platter piled high with very fried bacon sitting by itself as if to say that here, it was a dish in an of its self. Next to that were two toaster pastries smeared with icing that had been dripped on in the shape of… the shape of two happy faces staring cheerily up at him. The meal was topped off with a cup of some sort of flavored coffee (maple perhaps), a tin can with MONSTER scrawled across the bottom in threatening looking capital letters, and two "Jell-o cups" for dessert.

"Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает" Ivan said dryly.

"What?" Alfred asked glancing towards the far from amused Russian.

"Nothing," Ivan sighed an innocent smile growing on his face, "I think that I will skip breakfast da?"

"What? Why?" Alfred asked, looking genuinely hurt at the idea that all his efforts had been wasted.

"There are… too many chemicals in this meal." Russia answered simply. "Now I am tired of this game. Please give me my clothes so that I may go home."

"There are chemicals in everything!"

"Not this many." He answered, giving another disgusted glance at the tray of food. "Now please, my clothes." To America's dismay the other man's aura was beginning to change into something more sinister. "I will not keep asking."

"I sent them out to be cleaned." Alfred finally answered, "And besides, it's too hot here for those sort of clothes. I have some jeans and a t-shirt that should fit you until we can get you some warm weather gear. You are staying here Ivan. The last thing any of us need is for a world power to just disappear, no matter what its reasons are."

"I will not do anything rash." Ivan hissed, barely containing his anger behind his smile.

"I don't think that is true."

"Вы понятия не имеете, о чем трахании Вы говорите! Что ребенок как Вы понимать?" Russia growled. His composure had snapped. "You think that you can hold me here?! You think you can keep me from anything I wish to do!? You cannot stop me it I wish to die, you can not stop me if I wish to kill, you are nothing compared to what mother Russia has faced you arrogant child! You have existed for little more than a blink of the eye, what makes you think that you have any power over me?!"

"I'm stronger than you." America answered simply.

The room became silent for a instant, and then Russia began to laugh. It started quietly, but soon the room seemed to shake in the face of the nations near hysterical cackling. "Only one has ever been stronger than me." Russia ripped his ever present scarf from his neck, his fingers shaking violently. "The strongest force in the world before you were even and idea."

The scars on Russia's neck made America gag, tears welling up in his eyes before he had time to fight them back. "What…" he started staring unblinkingly at Ivan's naked throat. He had never seen the man without his trademark scarf. Even when he had chanced the unconscious nation into a pair of slightly too small pajamas he'd been unable to remove the scarf. Ivan had instinctually jerked away violently every time he'd tried. The Russian's throat looked as if it had been ripped out several times over and then very sloppily put back together. Given the damage Alfred was genuinely amazed that the other man was able to speak.

"The Mongols, da." Ivan answered Alfred's unfinished question. "They came when I was a child, barely a nation at all yet. They came in waves. Huge armies, that chocked my lands with their sheer numbers and killed the people who were barley my people at all. It was only a handful of years before that I had been give a name and those who lived within my borders were far from united.

"And when the war was over, I was their pet. My body was theirs. They placed an iron collar abound my neck with long spikes that protruded inward." His hands rubbed the scars absently. "The Mongol yolk they called it. It hurt." The last sentence was more a whimper than anything else. Russia's whole body was shaking and his eye's were staring vacantly into the distance.

"_He's somewhere else."_ America realized.

"They pulled the collar hard whenever they wanted something from me. And they wanted so much. My people suffered, and I… I could do nothing." Ivan's voice was much more child like now. "They forced their will on me, then… their bodies. It hurt so much and I could hear my people's screams inside my head, I could hear them beg, but what could I do?"

He was quiet for a few seconds, his head buried in his hands, and for an instant Alfred was sure that he was crying. But when the country looked up he was smiling, and his eyes were dead. "I killed them. I pulled their collar, their Mongol yolk into my throat until the hinges broke, and then I killed them. I was so small then that I though I would drown in their blood. I bathed in it, their warm, sticky blood that tasted so strongly of copper, and they ran away in the face of a child, they ran away from me by the thousands. The greatest power of the world, the Mongols, weaker than the child they had tormented." He chuckled, "It was the beginning of the end for them."

After a few seconds Ivan reached for his scarf and once again wove it around his neck, hiding the disfigurement as if it were never there. "Ivan I'm…" Alfred started.

But Russia quickly interrupted him, his voice once again gaining its adult tone, "I'm tired. Leave so that I may rest."

"Al-alright. I'll leave your clothes outside the door. Come look for me when you feel… better." Alfred mumbled, not really sure what to say to the other man.

Russia's only response was an absent nod as he wondered off in the direction of the bedroom window.

……………………………………………….

It's getting longer!!!! One day my chapters may be regular chapter size. I'd like to thank all of you who were kind enough to review. Thank you for your encouragement. I hope this chapter was ok.

The Mongols were the only one's to ever successfully invade and take power of Russia. And the things they did to the Russian people were… Well anyways…

Oh, and I have decided to switch to the Cyrillic alphabet because, well, it's a good deal easier for me than writing out the Russian words phonetically in English. If any one wants though I will explain how to pronounce the Russian words. Ok, now for the translation:

**Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает =** Like father like son (well that's the English equivalent)

**Вы понятия не имеете, о чем трахании Вы говорите! Что ребенок как Вы понимать? = **You have no concept of what the fuck you are saying! How would a child like you understand?

Hope you review! I'd love to hear people's opinion.


	4. Feel Better

America sighed as he pulled the door closed behind him and walked towards his room to gather a few articles of clothing for the older nation. This was going to be harder than he had originally thought. It felt like years ago that he'd decided out or the blue to pay an impromptu visit to Russia to discus some… questionable new policies the other nation seemed to be playing with. If he'd known what he would find there would he have gone? "Yeah, hell yeah I would have." Alfred concluded almost right away. He was still America, even if Russia was still Russia. After Ivan had passed out he did the only thing he could think of, call England. After all these years, after everything that had happened he still ran to England when he was scared and didn't know what to do.

England had been calm, which was as comforting as it was annoying. The other country had called an emergency world meeting and then flew over and picked up America and the still unconscious Russia. What had fallowed was… chaos, pure and simple. Ukraine had burst into panicked tears three times before Alfred could even finish his story. And then had insisted to care for her fallen sibling, only to decide against it after a very short conversation with her boss (thankfully England had strategically forgotten to invite Belarus). China offered to handle Russia's economics until he recovered, which quickly devolved into a fist fight between himself and the Asian country. Like hell was he going to let that headache pop back up. Lithuania had actually wanted to help Russia, but Poland had been quick to nix that idea. Latvia fainted and was unconscious for the remainder of the meeting and Estonia refused, several times before leaving to revive his fallen brother. The thing that had really pissed him off was Japans quiet declaration that if Russia wished to put an end to his existence, what right had any of them to stop him?

America roused himself from his musings and found himself standing in front of his closet. He grabbed a pair of jeans that were too big for him and t-shirt he figured would work and took off back towards Russia's room. "Well, in the end it ended up like this." America sighed out loud. He had agreed to take Ivan in until he was able to heal, but the problem was that America had no idea how to heal him.

He plopped the clothes down on the ground and turned to walk away but then thought better of it. He turned around and hesitantly knocked on the door. "Ivan, I brought you some clothes."

No response, so he tried again, this time knocking harder, "Ivan, Ivan are you there?" Nervous he tried the door, and it was locked. "Ah fuck!" Alfred hissed. With barely a second thought he took a few steps back and then lunged forward and kicked in the door.

…………..

Russia slammed the chair down as hard as he could, effectively breaking it over Alfred's head. The smaller man crumpled to the floor, knocked completely unconscious. For a second Ivan had been genuinely afraid that Alfred wouldn't try to come into the room at all. But then of course, he had remembered who he was dealing with and that had put his mind at ease.

"Кажется, что Вы не более сильны чем я" He sighed quietly with a broad smile across his face before getting down to work.

First thing first, Ivan thought as he hefted the unconscious man over his shoulder and unceremoniously chucked him onto the bed and began to shred the pajamas he'd been wearing. He quickly used the makeshift rope to secure the other man to the bed. He would have preferred a different structure because he could only manage to tie America's hands and legs to each post and he doubted if such flimsy restraints would hold the powerful country if he were to struggle too much. But unfortunately Alfred had broken the chair. The man was clumsy even while unconscious.

Once he had done as well as could be expected with Alfred, he began to ponder his other situation. With his too small anyways pajamas being used as restraints he found himself in the very uncomfortable position of being completely nude. He looked around for a few second before spotting the clothes that Alfred had left for him just beyond his now destroyed door. "How thoughtful." He chuckled gathering the clothes and beginning to dress. The jeans were tighter than what he was used to, but much more comfortable than the pajamas had been. He reached for the shirt when suddenly he got the feeling that he was being watched. Russia quickly whirled around and there, standing in the hallway just beyond the door stood a small, gray figure staring at him with large, shiny black eyes.

"Hello Tony." Ivan waved half surprised. "I haven't seen you since Siberia. When was that?"

"1969 fatty, and before that 1908." Tony responded curtly. "How have you been?"

"Fine," Russia sighed, "Why are you living with Alfred?" He questioned nodding his head absently towards the bed.

"I landed in Roswell after the first time I visited you so I knew him, then after you sent me away the second time I came back. You're a fucking asshole."

"Perhaps I would have let you stay had you been a little less rude." Russia smiled. In truth he like the little creature. He had a good attitude Ivan decided, but his bosses did not.

"Sorry Fatty, forgot you were such a delicate fucking flower."

In the bed America began to stir. The man certainly could wake from a head injury quickly. "It was wonderful seeing you again old friend, but I'm afraid I must be going now, da?" Ivan took a step towards the door but Tony quickly moved to block it.

"Alfred wants to keep you here white bread."

"Since when did you begin taking orders?" Ivan sneered.

"Not orders Dipshit. A request from my room mate." Russia rolled his eyes and quickly shoved the small alien out of his way. Alfred was fully awake now and was beginning to thrash. He didn't have time for this. Once he'd found a nice, hefty water pipe and returned to his homeland he would face whatever Alfred threw at him on his terms. "Oh hell no!" Tony growled, "You did not just do that! Don't make me whip out my tractor beams by-otch!"

This make Russia pause and slowly turn around. He was just about to ask what a by-otch was when Alfred hit the left side of his face with a strong, boxer's right hook. Ivan responded with a strong kick that knocked the attacking man's legs out from underneath him. Alfred fell completely gracelessly to the floor, face planting hard on the wood floor below them. Dazed Alfred reached forward and bit Ivan's bear ankle as hard as he could, quickly drawing blood. Ivan let out a yelp and instinctively began wildly kicking his leg in an attempt to get the other man off. Alfred let go, and while the now injured leg was still in the air, he hooked his arms behind Ivan's knee and jerked them forward. Ivan's knee bent and he toppled to the ground beside Alfred before he could right himself. Alfred then jumped up lightning quick and sat on Ivan's back and attempting to put the other man into a head lock. Ivan pulled himself up to his hands and knees, and for a moment it appeared as if the older man was giving the other some sort of strange, adult piggy back ride. Then with a huge amount of effort Ivan managed to stand back up, hopping that would dislodge the American. Unfortunately America responded by tightening his grip around Ivan's neck and wrapping his legs around the other's waist. Ivan felt his air supply suddenly dwindling and backpedaled, ramming Alfred into the wall behind him with all his might. Alfred held strong. And so, Ivan did it again, and again, and again, until, finally the both collapsed into a sweaty, heaving mass of limbs on the floor.

It was silent for a what felt like hours while both tried to catch their breath. Eventually though, in true American style, Alfred spoke first, "I would have pegged you for being kind of fat, but under all those clothes you look pretty nice."

"Thank you?" Ivan responded, looking down and realizing he was still shirtless.

"So… You feel better now?" Alfred asked.

"Yes," Ivan answered, and oddly he meant it, "and you?"

There was a small pause before America answered, "…Yeah, hey, come here, I wanna show you something." He grabbed the bigger man's hand and the managed to help each other up.

………………………………………….

Wow! I think this one is longer yet! Yay for improvement! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, thank you so much, it really means a lot. And I'm sorry if it takes me too long to update, I really am!

Alright, now, about those translations:

**Кажется, что Вы не более сильны чем я =** It seems, that you are no more strong than I after all.

Well, that's about it. Until next time, please review and let me know how I'm doing!


	5. Sunflowers and a kiss

America held tight to the other nations hand, despite Russia's obvious hesitation and began to drag him down the long hallway and towards the back door of his house. Russia continued to resist ever so slightly, fallowing Alfred, but at the same time making it clear that he did not trust him. Beyond the back door was a wide, grassy lawn lined with tall oak trees. Alfred began to giggle happily, pleased just to be outside. Alfred glanced behind him just in time to see Ivan visibly relax and close his eyes. And Alfred smiled all the more.

Ivan smiled as the sun's warm rays embraced him, licking happily at his bear skin. For an instant the rest of the world faded away. Warm, finally warm. And then he felt something tugging at his hand, and as quickly as his blissful trance had come, it was gone. He hesitantly opened his eyes and looked down at Alfred expectantly. "Da?" He asked softly.

"We're not even there yet. Don't start zoning out on me."

"Я не понимаю половину слов, которые Вы говорите."

"Come on now dude, you know I don't speak Chinese."

"дурак."

"Yeah, love you too. Now fallow me." Alfred smiled. Without any further warning he took off across the lawn and towards the tree line opposite them. Ivan gasped and nearly tripped as he was suddenly jerked forward at full speed. Alfred made it to the tree line in record time even with Russia being dragged behind him.

"Alfred?" Ivan called out tentatively as the other man made no move to slow down as he headed straight for a tiny gap between the trees. "Alfred, perhaps we should slow…" A large branch hit him in the face before he could finish. "FUCK YOU you motherfucking son of a fucking bitch!" He growled not realizing he was still speaking in English.

Alfred came to a stop just past the trees and began laughing hysterically, "I honestly didn't know you knew that word!" He gasped between giggles, "Do you kiss Belarus with that mouth?"

Russia blushed deeply, brushing a few stray leaves from his face, "I do not kiss Belarus at all you…" he stopped in mid sentenced, his jaw hanging open in amazement as he realized were the other man had lead him.

America turned to Ivan and his smile faltered as he saw the look on the other's face, "Um… so… do you like it? Liet mentioned that you had a thing for… well… AHHHH, hey!" His words were cut short as Ivan grabbed him around the waist and lifted him off the ground, spinning him around a few times, laughing all the while.

"Sunflowers," Ivan gasped through his ecstatic giggles, "A field of sunflowers!" Ivan stopped spinning so that he could look out at the field in front of him, but held firmly to Alfred's waist. "Thank you." He whispered into the other's chest, unshed tears shimmering in the corner of his eyes.

"I'm glad you like it." Alfred said dumbly as he wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck. The other man's hair was soft enough to startle him. He had a hard time imagining anything of Ivan's as soft.

"Thank you." Ivan whispered again, slowly letting Alfred slide back down to the ground. The two looked into each other's eyes for and instant and then, before America had a chance to react, Russia leaned over and kissed the other man tenderly on the lips before running off into the flowers with a childish squeal.

Alfred watched Ivan disappear into the sea of yellow, too shocked to move for an instant. And then his hand came up and traced his lips were the others had touched them. "Man," he finally sighed, "I don't get that guy." After another second of hesitation, Alfred jogged into the field of flowers after his strange charge. "Ivan, hey Ivan where the hell are you?" he called out happily.

…………………………………..

Russia made his way towards the center of the field, until he found an acceptable spot and laid down, all the while being careful not to bend the flowers around him. He looked up at the sky for an instant before his eyes began to slide closed. Perfect. He heard Alfred calling his name in the distance but couldn't bring himself to talk. "Oh well," he thought with a smile, "he'll find me eventually."

………………………………….

Lithuania twitched nervously on Mr. America's front stoop. He knew that Poland would be upset, but he still cared very much about Mr. America who had always been very good to him. And despite everything, he still did love Mr. Russia. So, after only a few days his will had been completely broken down by his good intentions. He rang the doorbell again and quietly looked through the window for any movement.

He was beginning to worry. Toris knew that since the cold war Ivan and Alfred's relationship was rocky at best and violent at worst. But surly Mr. America would know better than to hit a suicidal person, right?

With a heavy sigh Toris rang the doorbell again, and after only a second, tried the doorknob.

…………………………………………

Sorry, sorry! I know I fail and the chapter is short again…. And I was doing so well too. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry it took me so long to update, and that when I did update it was…. Disappointingly short (at least from my perspective). But I have been sick. The weather changed and I caught a horrible cold so…. Yeah I'm still sorry.

Anyways here are the chapters translations:

**не понимаю половину слов, которые Вы говорите =** I can not understand half of the words you say (American indiums are beyond Russia)

**дурак =** Fool

Please review! And as always, thank you for reading!


	6. Lost

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know it's been forever, but, well, a lot has happened. My old computer died just after my last update and I haven't been able to get a new one until now. Also I moved from Southern California (where I had lived my whole life) to Alaska. It was kinda a culture (Not to mention weather!) shock, and it put me a little behind on everything including my writing. Still, I'm sorry! But since I have a computer and everything now I should do a little better at the updating…

Hope you like the story at any rate!

…

The front door slid open as soon as Toris touched the handle. He jumped back half expecting to see an angry looking Russia or America ready to scold him (or something worse) for having intruded. But the front hall was empty. "He-hello? Is anyone here?" Lithuania called, trying desperately to keep the slight tremor from his voice. For some reason he could never quite figure out, he always felt like he were in trouble whenever he entered someone else's house, invited or not.

"Mr. America? Mr. Russia? Are you here? May I come in?" He tried again and waited. But unfortunately the results were the same. Surly they were home. After all, with Russia feeling the way he was… well, were would they go? "They must not have heard me," he concluded out loud. Toris stopped at the entrance for a heartbeat, glancing around the empty front hall before he finally made up his mind and went in, trying fruitlessly to ignore his growing worries.

…..

"Hey, Russia, where are you big guy?" America shouted into the field. He'd been calling for the guy for a good five minutes and was beginning to get a bad feeling. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to take the guy outside… into a tall field of sunflowers… were Russia could escape without even being seen… which is exactly what he wanted to do… so that he could…

"How was I supposed to know this could happen?" America growled. "Damn it, maybe it wasn't the best plan, but the world needs action!" To be honest he wasn't entirely sure what he ment by that last sentence, but it did seem to ring true to his soul and that was enough to make it right in his mind. "Russia, hey Russia? Ivan, were the hell are you? Ivan, I have… snacks!" America tried again making his way into the sunflower field.

….

Lithuania felt like his whole body was shaking; this was bad, very bad. He'd gone to Alfred's guest bedroom and found, well chaos. The remains of a broken chair were strewn across the floor, one of the bed posts was broken and the others were tied with the tattered remains of… he wasn't sure, some sort of cloth that had been ripped to shreds. Not to mention the door which sat forlornly on the ground kicked violently off its hinges, as well as a tray of seemingly ignored food, and the look of general disarray and the signs of a struggle.

"Wh-what happened?" Toris whispered, tears beginning to form around the corners of his eyes.

"Ivan…Ivan? Where are you?"

The familiar voice broke him out of his momentary stupor. Mr. America was calling for Mr. Russia. Did that mean they were both alive? Probably, that was good, Toris decided. But did that mean that Mr. America didn't know were…

"Come on dude, where are you? This is not cool!"

The voice was coming from outside, Lithuania was sure of it. And it sounded like Mr. America was beginning to panic, which was another very horrible sign. With one last sideways glance at the destroyed guest room Toris ran towards the back door. Mr. America and Mr. Russia needed him.

…

America sighed, this was ridiculous. Russia was still missing and now he had… well he wasn't lost, Alfred F. Jones never got lost, but… well, he'd misplaced… himself in this damn sunflower field. Why the hell did they make sunflowers so tall? When he got out he would have to invent something to fix this… maybe a shrink ray, no that sounded to Bond villain and he was a hero… X-ray goggles then.

Suddenly he stopped the image of Russia's abused neck popping unbidden into his head. "Christ." He hissed shaking his head in an attempt to get it out. No wonder the guy was so fucked up, after growing up like that, it was a little amazing he was still so normal. America would be the first to admit that he hadn't had the best child hood, but nothing like, nothing like… The image of Ivan's crying face placed above that throat of his reappeared just behind his eyes. "I'll save him… I have to, I'm the hero." Alfred suddenly shouted. "I have to, somebody has to…"

America was so engrossed in his thoughts he neglected to notice the obstacle laying in his path. He stepped on something warm and squishy and jumped back. His Alfred's feet became quickly entangled in themselves. And, with a loud, far from heroic squawking sound he tumbled head first.

"пожалуйста позвольте мне спать." Russia growled in a sleepy mumble. His eyes flicking open and closed in annoyed surprise before settling on closed again after a few seconds of indecision.

"Oh come on." Alfred groaned looking over at Ivan unbelievingly, "You have got to be shitting me."

….

Lithuania flinched as he heard a loud squawk coming from somewhere inside the huge field in front of him. Something had happened to Mr. America, he was sure of it!

"I'm coming Mr. America, I'm coming Mr. Russia!" He cried, charging forward, in between the stalks of large flowers and feeling a little bit like he used to in the old days, strong, and confident, and rushing into the fray to rescue his fallen friends. Mostly though he just felt terrified about what he'd find.

…

Thank you for reading, I'm sorry there couldn't be more to this chapter, but let's all clap for (hopefully) more regular updates! And yes, I know, this chapter was pure fluff. It will be more substantial in upcoming chapters. I'm just trying to get back into the story. I've been gone from it for so long that I kinda forgot how to write it. Sorry if this chapter doesn't fit cause of it, I really am trying even if it doesn't always turn out great…

Now for the translations:

**пожалуйста позвольте мне спать**- Please allow me to sleep.


End file.
